South America

TRAVELLING TO The South America

Tantalise your senses with a multi-country South America tour or focus your travels on just one of the spectacular countries that South America has to offer.

South America is a continent like no other, offering a variety of incredulous terrains, a host of differing cultures, a fascinating and unique range of wildlife, a gastronomic cuisine, an intriguing history and a range of adventure-filled activities.

From snow-capped mountains to turquoise lakes, stark arid deserts, rainforest, vast salt flats, pampas grasslands, glaciers, volcanoes, spectacular coastline and waterfalls, the landscapes of South America are breathtaking. In complete contrast are bustling and vibrant cities such as Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Lima and Montevideo. Then there are fascinating colonial towns such as Cusco, Sucre, Quito, Cartagena and Colonia and the mining towns of Potosi and Ouro Preto. South America is steeped in history and culture and a South America tour could allow you to delve into the history of the Inca, Moche and Nazca civilisations or immerse yourself in the culture of the Quechua Indians or the Afro-Brazilian beat of Salvador. For food lovers, a gastronomic experience awaits, tempting you with mouth-watering Argentinian steaks or fresh seafood ceviche accompanied by a glass of fine Chilean or Argentinian wine.

Tantalise your senses with a multi-country South America tour or focus your travels on just one of the spectacular countries that South America has to offer.

South America is a continent like no other, offering a variety of incredulous terrains, a host of differing cultures, a fascinating and unique range of wildlife, a gastronomic cuisine, an intriguing history and a range of adventure-filled activities.

From snow-capped mountains to turquoise lakes, stark arid deserts, rainforest, vast salt flats, pampas grasslands, glaciers, volcanoes, spectacular coastline and waterfalls, the landscapes of South America are breathtaking. In complete contrast are bustling and vibrant cities such as Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Lima and Montevideo. Then there are fascinating colonial towns such as Cusco, Sucre, Quito, Cartagena and Colonia and the mining towns of Potosi and Ouro Preto. South America is steeped in history and culture and a South America tour could allow you to delve into the history of the Inca, Moche and Nazca civilisations or immerse yourself in the culture of the Quechua Indians or the Afro-Brazilian beat of Salvador. For food lovers, a gastronomic experience awaits, tempting you with mouth-watering Argentinian steaks or fresh seafood ceviche accompanied by a glass of fine Chilean or Argentinian wine.

WHY TRAVEL WITH CHIMU ADVENTURES

We offer you flexible travel options in Latin America at an affordable price.

You can choose from over 400 suggested itineraries or pick and choose elements to build your own unique experience; cover the areas you want to explore at a pace to suit you.

We know each Latin American country by heart and will work with you to determine which activities and accommodations are best suited to your needs.

From your initial enquiry until your trip ends, you will be assigned a personal Destination Specialist who will offer a full service for your travel needs: we can book flights, insurance and any ancillary travel required to complete your journey.

We have offices across South America so you can be assured that ground staff are close at hand to assist whilst you are travelling.

Ship: Magellan Explorer

Ship: MT Camila

BLOGS ON South America

Whether you are looking for advice on visas and vaccinations, when to travel, best markets or beaches to visit, wildlife guides or the top restaurants in a city, Chimu blogs are likely to have it covered. The range of topics is vast, with new and fascinating
blogs being added regularly. There are airport guides, Galapagos Island guides, what to pack and what not to pack, and even a blog on the most romantic locations to propose in Latin America!

South America REVIEWS

All Chimu Adventures' clients are given the opportunity to review their trip once they return home. These reviews are administered by a third party and as such are unfiltered by Chimu Adventures.

Rated 5 out of
5 by
MaxSue from
Great value. All we requested in our time and pricGuides and hotels were great. Most tours were just the two of us but other larger groups were enjoyable. Agency was contactable, even finding and returning to hotel a jacket left on the bus. Follow up calls checked all was ok.Our only pproblem was due to a late add-on and limited time causing altitude sickness at Puno because of lack of acclimatisation. Machu Piccu was wonderful with plenty of time with and without the guide. Much better than the other large groups we saw.

Date published: 2014-10-13

Rated 1 out of
5 by
AnneDavid from
Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, BrazilThe itinerary was just wonderful. We saw all and more of what we had imagined. Chimu's MO of using local agents or subsidiaries worked really well - we had the beenift of our own space as well as meeting plenty of people on the various city tours etc.

Date published: 2015-06-23

Rated 5 out of
5 by
WadeC from
Sth America & Mexico. EspectacularI recently toured Peru, Buenos Aires, Iguazu, Rio & Mexico City with Chimu. The service, itinerary timetable and attention to detail were first rate. As a first time tourist to South America they provided great peace of mind that everything was organised and I was kept informed throughout. On my trip Chimu management and staff went above and beyond when I had a minor incident (unrelated to tour itinerary). I will always remember this support and would warmly recommend Chimu to anyone looking to book one of their many adventure tours.

Date published: 2015-01-30

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Carina12 from
Just Amazing!!Antarctica - Brilliant! MS Expedition and its crew were fantastic - food was never ending & cooked superbly. Nothing to fault.
So amazing to see life without buildings, cars & pollution. The place makes you fell insignificant!!!! Am planning another trip!
Peru - Cusco was fantastic. We arrived to see the last day of the festival so had colourful costumes, music & fun! Machu Picchu was beyond expectations. Fantastic local guide.
Easter Island - Amazing. So interesting, especially the quarry with the Moai. Would recommend this location to anyone
All in all, a trip of a lifetime!

Date published: 2015-03-13

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Golfer away from
South America - northern halfOur tour was organised by Chimu Adventures and was excellent. In 5 weeks we saw Santiago, Valparaiso, Galapagos Islands for 5 days (needed 8 days), back to Quito for a couple of days (meant we had no problem with altitude), then Puno/Cusco/Machu Picchu/ Sacred Valley for about 6 days, then a boat on the Amazon for 4 days, over to Iguassu Falls, Rio, then Sao Paulo for a relative's wedding. Full comments sent to travel agent. Only wouldn't recommend Mabu Thermas & Resort Hotel at Iguassu - all other hotels great. Guides great.

Date published: 2014-12-11

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Not Again from
Good Trip with some frustrationsThe first frustration of the trip was my wife and my airline tickets were not linked.the second was the Iguaçu driver/guided was 40 minutes late to pick us up from the airport. The third was being told both verbally and in writing to be ready at 12 noon when we were leaving Iguaçu from the Argentinian airport and needed to leave at 11am. The fourth were the rooms being standard with out views in places that had wonderful outlooks. If we had have been told prior we would have payed more for these rooms. The accomodation overall was good, the guides were knowledgeable and helpful. I could continue but enough is enough.

Date published: 2019-01-31

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Gail from
6 weeks in South AmericaWe had a fantastic time in South America. Everything went smoothly and the guides organised by Chimu were fantastic, especially Diego who was our guide in Ecuador from a Chimu affiliated company called Latin Trails. We spent a week on Yolita 2 in the Galapagos covering the western and central islands itinerary and 3 days at La Selva Amazon lodge and would highly recommend both. Things we would change in hindsight:
More time in the Amazon
More time in the sacred valley, Peru
An extra day at the amazing Iguassu falls (we only had 2 days there)
Less time in Lima

Date published: 2016-09-29

Rated 5 out of
5 by
phillip from
Amazing TripThe entire itinerary went smoothly, and we did not experience any delays, interuptions or revisions. Everything possible was covered, including entry fees, guides, tours etc. Some of the early pick ups (eg 4.00am!) should be reviewed, as they did not prove to be necessary. Most of the accommodation was excellent, including some that were 3 star rated. However some e.g. the Libertador chain should improve aspects of their service. It seems that the culture of the organisation is consistent thruout the chain, and they often seem that dealing with customers is an imposition. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Most South American countries have now recognized that tourism plays an important part in their economies and governments have taken great steps in the last few years to change South America’s poor security image. You will find a strong police presence in the towns, cities and sites most frequently visited by tourists. To minimise security risks we recommend the following: - do not show any outward signs of wealth or wear expensive jewellery - keep your valuables in your hotel in safety deposit boxes - keep any valuables that you must carry with you hidden, as pickpockets can be present in crowded areas and around tourist areas - use only taxis with official identification - avoid going on your own to remote areas/ruins where tourists would not be expected to go - always keep your day pack and camera close to you and never leave them unattended

Visas are required by some nationalities for travel to certain South American countries. Please refer to the detailed information on the specific countries that you plan to travel through for visa requirements.

You could spend anything from a few days to several months travelling in South America, depending on whether you plan to focus on just one country, or maybe just one experience such as the Inca Trail. Or whether you plan to encompass several countries in your South America travels. Chimu Adventures offers itineraries to suit every time frame.

South America can vary greatly in terms of prices in each country. Our South America tours include breakfast daily and many other meals may also be included in your itinerary. As a rough guide for additional spending money based on having moderately-priced lunches and dinners and buying a few souvenirs at local markets, we suggest the following budgets: 15-25 USD per day - Bolivia 20-30 USD per day - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia 25-35 USD per day - Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela 30-40 USD per day - Chile 35-45 USD per day - Brazil 30-50 USD per day - The Guianas

We recommend that you visit your doctor or a traveller’s medical centre for current information specific to those countries that you will be travelling through. As a general guide we recommend the following: - Yellow Fever – Especially for jungle areas - Hepatitis – Both A and B (twinrix) - Typhoid - Diphtheria - Cholera - Rabies - Tetanus

Portuguese and Spanish are the primary languages of South America. The majority of South Americans speak Portuguese but most South American countries are Spanish-speaking. English is spoken in Guyana, Dutch and Indonesian in Suriname and French in French Guiana.

The level of fitness needed will depend on the South America tour that you choose to take in terms of countries to be visited and the types of activities to be included in your itinerary. Many parts of South America are at altitudes above 2000 metres, where there is a risk of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness effects everyone differently and usually has nothing to do with your general fitness level, but we highly recommend acclimatizing at altitude before taking strenuous treks or walks.